[culturehandy]

From todays Globe and Mail.

[nickclick]

did everyone know that all donations made to Planned Parenthood thru 12/31 will be matched? go now!

(cross-posted in the activism thread)

[anarch]

faerietails, thanks for posting that. It looks fantastic. "this film offers one bitter-pill lesson: appeals to science and reason, however ethical, simply do not influence the masses as well as blood-and-guts emotionality. For example, in response to anti-choice images of broken fetal arms strewn in blood, reproductive justice activists show a wire hanger next to a smiling picture of Joan Crawford. This comes across as sterile, diminutive and polite. By contrast, a no-holds-barred approach would be an image of a woman who had died during a back-alley abortion. A corpse."

I'd support that. People who enjoy thinking make the mistake of assuming that other people do, too. When in reality, way more people are driven by emotions, at the expense of logic.

In good news, the MA House today "have overwhelmingly approved a bill to expand protest-free zones around abortion clinics. The bill would give Massachusetts among the strongest "buffer zone" laws in the nation, creating a hard 35-foot perimeter around a clinic's entrances and driveways."

[faerietails2]

Alternet posted a really great review of a new documentary analyzing the anti-choice movement's tactics. It sounds intense! I'll have to see it.

[anarch]

A "40 days for life" campaign, a drive for anti-choicers in the US to picket clinics in "89 cities in 33 states", 24/7, is going on now until Nov 4.

Emily X is blogging about how it's playing out at the clinic where she works. Also on her site is a link for people to write supportive notes to Planned Parenthood workers. Also, she's keeping a running tally of how many protestors show up every day - "Pledge a few cents [like, 5 cents] for every protester I encounter during the anti-choice groups' so-called "40 days for life" campaign. I'll keep a running tally of protesters each day on this blog, and at the end of the 40 days on Nov. 4, I'll let you know how much you've helped raise. Don't worry, you can put a cap on your donation in case we encounter more protesters than expected."

[lilacwine13]

You can, but some pharmacists refuse to dispense it because they think it causes abortion and goes against their beliefs. Also, some stores don't have a policy in place where, if the pharmacist doesn't want to dispense it, they need to find someone who will, or tell you where to go to get it.

[p_176]

i thought you could get the morning after pill at a pharmacy, without a prescription....

[ginger_kitty]

Just wanted to pass along this link:

http://pillpatrol.saveroe.com/

It's a simple way to try make a difference.

[culturehandy]

Don't they interview people before they go into med school? I'd like to know what moron admitted a man who said reading the bible was good for PMS. You know what's good for my PMS? Beating the shit out of motherfuckers like him.

It's just part of Bush's ultimate plan to turn women back into baby factories and restrict their rights.

[dj-bizmonkey]

what is the MOST frustrating, is that democracy now did a three part special on Hager and his ex-wife back in 2004 and it seemed to slip under the radar. how could anyone allow a misogynist, sadist be in charge of women's health? it was his decision alone that kept the morning after pill from being over the counter, DESPITE the fact that the overwhelming majority of doctors on the panel (something like 20 out of 24) were in favor of it being available without a prescription. blegh.

[humanist77]

Article about Hager's ex wife's accusations

I'm furious, but through being shocked about the psychos that the Bush administration has appointed to various committees.

[faerietails2]

i'm speechless. this is making my head spin i'm so mad. UGH!

EDIT: in other news: Bush's War on Women is a War on Science.

"Dr. David Hager, a gynecologist, objected to oral contraceptives because he says that they provide a "convenient way for young people to be sexually active outside marriage" and wrote a book with his wife that recommends Bible readings and prayers for such ailments as premenstrual syndrome."

Now, I already knew Hager was an anti-choice asshat, but got some reason this riled me up all over again. Didn't his wife later come out and say that he raped her repeatedly throughout their marriage? Anyway, this quote is tame compared to the rest of the article.

[culturehandy]

thanks running! I was so irate while reading that, it appears that I just stopped absorbing what was being proposed.

[runningwestward]

They did have a stipulation for rape. But you need a police report to prove it. And the line after that just made me vomit a little in my mouth. If it is incest how the hell are they going to prove who the father is? "Excuse me but your [insert appropriate kinship here] has accused you of incest and is now looking to have an abortion. But we need to prove that you are the father to get your permission. So if you wouldn't mind...." um yeah like they'll give some DNA and prove themselves guilty. Faaaa. So stupid. So so stupid.

[culturehandy]

Oh fuck. *head explodes*

Abortion fraud, I think I'm going to vomit. I know plenty of men who would volunteer to be the "father" so a woman could abort. And what if it's rape? And and and...

[candycane_girl]

"abortion fraud"? seriously?

OT, does anyone know where I could find something that actually outlines the law regarding abortion in Canada? I don't even know if it varies from province to province.

[llamas]

Blah. So wrong, and so fundamentally stupid, on so many levels. Being an Ohio resident, I'm hoping that the legislature kills this one quickly.

[vesicapisces]

Holy fucking shit.

Angry, angry, angry.

[dusty]

I organized a bake sale once to raise money for to help pay for legal fees to uphold the right to abortion clinics. It was most satisfying to see the hand of Mr. Big-Pro-Life-on-Campus reaching out for the biggest cookie and then pulling back.

I recently went to hear Dr. Rebecca Gomperts of Women on Waves speak. She was way cool. Or did I mention this before? They take a ship out into international waters for abortions, and they provide information on their website.

According to her, abortion wasn't an issue until Pope Pius IX proclaimed that life started at conception. She also suggested that this was a political move to rally support from the French government at a time when the French population was ageing and the industrial revolution was about to take off.

[vesicapisces]

Ginger_kitty, I'm a little late to the party, but that article you posted was intense. I'm going to copy the article to give to people when they say, "I don't understand why someone would have an abortion so late in their pregnancy."